Our Blog

It’s no secret that 2020 was not the year any of us were expecting. And, like most holidays this year, Thanksgiving will probably look and feel very different. But hopefully, no matter where you find yourself this Thanksgiving, you take a moment to reflect and feel blessed for what you do have — no matter how big or small. We asked our community, "Why are you thankful for Sola in 2020?" Here’s what you had to say…  Read More

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more.” Even though it has been a challenging year on so many levels, we want to spend some time to focus on gratitude and silver linings. 2020 Faces of Sola Steven Wren and 2018 Faces of Sola Amanda Fagan are two of the most positive people we know, so we wanted to bring them back onto the Sola Stories Podcast to share how they have been able to stay grounded in gratitude throughout this pandemic.    Read More

On August 11th, I posted on Instagram asking our Sola fam to share tips for new parents as I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first baby. Twelve weeks later as I wrapped up my maternity leave, I posted on Instagram again…this time asking for advice for working parents getting ready to return from maternity/paternity leave. As promised, here are the tips shared by a few inspiring working mamas and papas...  Read More

‘Tis the season for some shopping, and while you may not be able to make your traditional mall rounds to snag a special something for everyone on your holiday shopping list, we wanted to still help you spread a little holiday cheer to the special people in your Sola Fam. From that wine-lover to that new mom (who could likely also use a glass of wine), we’ve got you covered with Sola’s 2020 Holiday Gift Guide.   Read More

Our guest on this episode of Sola Stories is Canadian business coach, Dawn Bradley. Dawn has been in the beauty industry for nearly two decades and spent the last ten years as a business owner. Through her coaching business, Dawn hosts tons of classes and online courses, including “Become a 6-Figure Hairstylist Stress-Free” and “Raise Your Prices Like a Pro.” We’ve previously had the honor to partner with Dawn for some Sola-exclusive education on How To Set Back to Work Boundaries, and we are thrilled to bring her on to the Sola Stories Podcast to discuss how to work smarter, not harder, set boundaries, avoid burnout, raise your prices, and live a balanced life as a small business owner.  Read More

On this episode of Sola Stories, we are talking about all things social media, and who better to have on the show than Sola’s Social Media and Content Strategist, or as we like to call her our Content Queen, Angela Ribbler. Tune in to this episode to get tips from this social media savant to help grow your business. Angela shares her insights about each social media platform and how to utilize and create content for each to reach your goals. Angela also shares valuable tips like how to write a compelling caption, how to take a great Instagram photo and advice for social media beginners. She even shares some secret tips to get your content shared on Sola’s social media! If you’re looking to up your salon’s social media game, this episode will turn your social not-working into successful social networking in no time!  Read More

Sola Pro - our free, Sola-exclusive education app - is all glown up! With an enhanced user experience, quicker load times, a personalized content feed, and an easier way to update your Sola webpage, with this refresh, we’ve truly put the pro in Sola Pro. Now is the time to make sure you’ve downloaded the Sola Pro app, have successfully registered, and are able to access all the incredible content. Read on to learn how to get started, as well as what’s new and exciting in Sola Pro.   Read More

Tune in to hear Lindsey talk about how she got started with Yelp, how her salon made it to the number 3 position in her city, and how many new clients she gets each week from Yelp while spending $0 on Yelp advertising. She always shares tips for anyone who is ready to get started setting up your Yelp page for the first time. Still not sure if Yelp is right for you? Lindsey talks about how to overcome that fear of that dreaded negative review and why they aren’t as scary as you may think.  Read More

With so much uncertainty surrounding us, the mindsets, priorities, and expectations of both you and your clients have likely changed. We’re here to help you overcome these new internal and external challenges and find your flow again behind the chair.   Read More

Full-spectrum colorist and 2020 Faces of Sola, Morgan Abernathy, has truly created a career that spans the spectrum of the beauty industry. She has gone from being told she wasn’t good enough to ever be a “great hairdresser,” to owning her own salon, educating for brands like Pulp Riot, Brazilian Bond Builder and Colortrak, and has grown an Instagram following of nearly 50K followers. Tune in to this inspirational episode of Sola Stories to hear Morgan share how she went from being homeless and living in her car, to being the flourishing owner of her salon, Colored in Chaos.  Read More

The saying goes, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” As some parts of the country approach what feels like a looming second wave, we have two options: we can ignore it, or we can prepare. Don’t wait until you’re in crisis mode to get prepared. Start now with these 6 ways to set yourself up for financial stability through financially unstable times.    Read More

Before becoming the successful owner of multiple salons and beauty academies, as well as one of the most celebrated and sought-after motivational speakers in the industry, Geno learned first-hand what it meant to be successful working behind the chair. Geno will tell you himself, he’s not the best hairdresser in the industry, but his inept ability to understand people is what has kept his career thriving for decades. We are thrilled to bring this vivacious industry expert, mentor and a true friend to the Sola family, onto the Sola Stories podcast.   Read More

On this Sola Stories Quick Tip, we're helping you get a jumpstart on your holiday marketing. Tune in to get all of our best holiday marketing tips and tricks for salon owners, because no matter what 2020 brought, you can still cross this year's finish line with a bang.   Read More

Whether we are all in need of a little extra holiday cheer or we just can't wait to leave this year in the past...you've likely started to see the holiday season start creeping in earlier than ever this year. Like most things in 2020, the holidays are sure to have their own twist, so we're here to help you get a jumpstart on your holiday marketing and cross this year's finish line with a bang.  Read More

We are thrilled to bring our special guest and Breast Cancer Thriver, Barbara Violo, onto the Sola Stories podcast. Barbara owns a hair and wig studio in Sola in Long Island, New York. Barbara’s studio is a safe haven for women experiencing hair loss, primarily due to cancer as well as other causes. In her studio, she takes her clients on a journey - from shaving their heads to hair recovery and beyond. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we wanted to bring Barbara on the Sola Stories Podcast to share her journey as both a breast cancer survivor and tell us about the unique niche she has created in her Sola studio. Listen to hear Barbara share her beautiful, thoughtful process creating the perfect wig for each of her clients.   Read More

Emotional and financial wellness has unsurprisingly been a huge topic for our community this year. In these uncertain times, we at Sola are here to support you in any way we can -- which is why we hosted a wellness webinar with industry expert and financial guru, Michael Cole, and 2020 Faces of Sola, Bianca Margolis. Together they discussed ways to combat COVID crisis fatigue⁠, ways to adjust numbers to keep your business thriving⁠, and how to stay healthy, both emotionally and financially.   Read More

Our guest on this episode is one of our 2018 Faces of Sola, an educator, SolaGenius ambassador, and, most importantly, a new mom. Ashley Lantz has made her mark on the Sola community as a true trailblazer. She was the first person to sign a lease at her Sola location in Arizona, even before the building had walls, and was also one of the first to lean into Sola’s technology to supercharge her business. Listen as Ashley shares her journey to Sola and how she’s used technology to run a more efficient business and spend more time at home with her family.   Read More

By signing your lease for your brand new Sola studio, you have just made an exciting and positive change for your life and career. Since becoming your own boss and opening up your own salon comes with new challenges and responsibilities, it’s not unexpected to take a break from being on cloud nine and ask, “Where do I even begin?” Here’s a quick-list of tasks and items you should spend the next few weeks focusing on.  Read More

We are thrilled to bring Houston-based hairstylist and one of our 2020 Faces of Sola, Cuyler Engram (@cuylerdidit), on the Sola Stories Podcast. Before owning his Sola salon, Cuyler honed his craft as a makeup artist for Mac Cosmetics. Listen, as Cuyler shares his journey into the beauty industry and how he’s overcome criticism and racism to harness his confidence in his craft and creativity. Tune in to get Cuyler’s number one tip for growing an Instagram following as well as a happy, fulfilling life.   Read More

Your salon should feel like a safe haven, for you and your guests. If you're finding yourself energetically drained at the end of each day and dreading to come to work in the mornings, you may be suffering from Covid Conversation Overload, which can affect your overall mental health and salon life satisfaction. We've put together some tips to help you navigate the tumultuous waters of our current COVID climate.  Read More

We are honored to bring John Mosley, aka Mr. Popular Nobody, on the Sola Stories Podcast! John is one of the most in-demand educators in the industry, who’s grown a massive following on social media (@popularnobody) and a clientele that includes celebrities like Kendrick Lamar and Eminem. John is not just an educator on stage but in every aspect of his life. Tune in to be inspired by John’s aspirational accomplishments. His success as an entrepreneur is sure to spark a fire in you to strive for more in your own business.   Read More

Love it or hate it, marketing is crucial for your business. Over the years, marketing has increasingly become an online game and made social media the most accessible marketing tool as a small business owner. No matter which platforms you are using, social media marketing is an ongoing conversation - an opportunity to tell your story and help potential customers get to know you, while also engaging with your current and future customers to get them excited for their salon experience even before sitting in your chair.  Read More

Like most things this year, the start of the school year has been looking a lot different for most families. Whether your child is required to go back to school fully in-person, a mix of virtual and in-person learning, or 100 percent remote learning, we know parents are struggling to navigate this new norm, specifically regarding how it affects their life as a salon owner.  In an effort to support you finding your groove as a working parent, we hosted a panel discussion with some of our parent Faces of Sola who, too, are balancing back-to-school with life in the salon. This panel was so valuable and chock-full of so much incredible advice, resources and overall support, we wanted to share this special discussion with you on the Sola Stories podcast, too.   Read More

Like most things this year, the start of the school year is shaping up to look quite different for many parents. Based on your child's school county, they may be required to go back fully in-person, some are doing a hybrid mix of virtual and in-person learning, while others are mandated to do 100 percent remote learning. We have heard the buzz around our Sola community that parents are struggling to navigate this new norm, specifically regarding how it affects their life as a salon owner. But the silver lining, like most curveballs you have been thrown this year, is that you are not in this alone. In an effort to support you in finding your groove as a working parent, we hosted a panel discussion with some of our parent Faces of Sola who, too, are balancing back-to-school with life in the salon.  Read More

On this episode of the Sola Stories Podcast, Jennie chats with the first beauty professional in Canada to take the leap of faith and join the Sola family. Roxanne has always been a go-getter, starting her career with an apprenticeship at age 15. Tune in to hear this feisty firecracker’s journey behind the chair and what's currently happening in Canada and her studio.  Read More